Adjustable bearing for boat-shafts.



M. HEMMER.

ADJUSTABLE BEARING FOB. BOAT SHAPTS.

APPLIOATIONFILED JUNE 14, 1912.

1,037,621, Patented Sept. 3,19 1'2 "In!!! x.

I'I nu F UNITED STATE EPATENT OFFICE.

MATHEW HEMMER, or SYRACUSE, NEW roan.

ADJUSTABLE BEARING FOR BOAT-SHAFTS;

useful Improvements in Adjustable Bearings for Boat-Shafts, of which thqfollowing,

taken 'in connection with the accompanying v drawings, is a full, clear, and exact descr ption. I

This invent-ion relates to certain im arovekeel -'a1 ofazboat together with the usual 1 ments in supports for propeller sha'ts for motor boats and similar craft, the object being toprovi'de simple means forperniitting the shaft to adjust itself and its hearings. to proper alinement in case the shaft should become sprung by thewarping or buckling of the parts of the boat in which it. is mounted."

It is well'known that when a boat is dry docked for a greater or less period of time after being in the water and afterward re-,

placed in the water, there is always more, or

less war ing, shrinkage or buckling of the frame, tiiereby causing the shaft to spring or bind inits hearings to such an extent asto prevent its free rotation, making it necessary to entirely remove the bearings and-refit the shaft tdthe log through which it is passed.

The primary object of my invention is to provide simple means whereby the shaft bearings mav be properly adjusted to relieve the shaft from binding thereinwithout removing any of the hearings or necessitating the formation of'new or additional boatholes in which the bearings are secured to the log by bolts.

Another object is to provide fora limited endwise adjustment of the bearings relatively to the log without shifting the vertically adjustable clamping plates.

A still further object is to make the opening in the log through which the shaft passes sufiiciently large to allow a' limited radial adjustment of any portion of the shaft in any direction.

Other objects and uses will be brought outin the following description;

In the drawings :--Figurel is a sectional View partly broken away of a portion of the bottom of a boat showing my improved shaft-supporting means in elevation. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view and an enlarged horizontal sectional View of portions of the bearings and clamping means therefor at- Specification of Letters Patent.

1 Application filed June 14, 1912. Serial No. 763329.

tion of clamping bolts 7.

I Patented the rear end of the shafttaken on lines 22 v and 3.3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front end view of the shaft and adjacent-bearing together with the log in which the shaft is mounted,

Sept. 3, 1912 a; portion of the keel being shown in secs tion. F 1g. 5 1s a perspective View ofone of the detached clamping members for one of the bearings. \f"

In order that my my cation may be clearly understood, I have shown a portion of the.

log a. in which the propeller shaft as '-l is mounted, said log being usually, made up of sections as shown in Fig. 2 and provided with .a central bore 2 of considerably greater diameter than the shaft -l'- so as to allow radial adjustment of all portions of said shaft in anv direction. The opposite ends of the propeller shaft --1 are i'lournaled in suitable bearings -3- whic are secured to corres onding ends of the log a'- in a manner presently described and are provided with stutling boxes or glands '-4 to prevent leakage of water along the shaft into the boat.

Each bearin'g is alined centrally with the opening 2- in the log and is provided with d ametrically opposite lugs or flanges '5 extending some distance beyond the sides of said log and formed with apertures or bolt openings 6 for the recep- The inner ends of the clamping bolts 7 are provided with laterally elongated fiat clamping plates or heads 8 having radially elongated slots -9 for receiving clamping bolts l0 which are passed transversely through the log to firmly hold the clamping members 8- in operative position, ,the elongated slots -9- serving to permit vertical adjustment of the clamping bolts 7 and bearings .-3- mounted thereon, thereby allowing the shaft and bearings to adjust themselves to perfect alinement by simply loosening the bolts 10-. The width of the slots 9- is slightly greater than the diametersof the bolts --10 which they receive to permit a slight tilting movement of the bolts -7- in case he end face of the log should not be exactly parallel with the clamping plates or heads 8. The'bolts '--7 are also of sufllcient length to permit axial adjustment of the bearings 3 and compensate for any slight variations in the distances between the centcrs .of the clamping plates 

